Manish Tewari accuses Modi of curbing media freedom in Gujarat

New Delhi: Hitting back at Narendra Modi who had attacked the government over an advisory issued to TV channels, Union minister Manish Tewari on Friday accused the BJP leader of curbing media freedom in Gujarat.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister defended the advisory issued by his ministry, saying that it only meant advice and attacked Modi saying he only made speeches and never answered journalists' questions.

He added that Modi had walked out of an interview when "difficult questions" on Gujarat riots were asked.

"I think it'll be worthwhile for the pretender of the BJP to really introspect and ask himself as to what really is the condition of media freedom in Gujarat,” he said.

"How far from intimidation is the media in the state in which he is the Chief Minister. Whether his liberalism only extends to waxing eloquent and shooting from the hip or is it implemented?" Tewari said.

The NDA government had troubled Tehelka magazine after they did an expose against the Vajpayee government, he said.

The minister defended the advisory issued to channels by his ministry. "We had given an advice to everyone that when the Prime Minister or the President on a national day like August 15 or January 26, make an address, then it should be taken with sensitivity," he said.

Earlier speaking in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district, Modi had questioned the motive behind the issuance of the advisory.

"The advisory was issued this week for what was shown on last August 15. The Central government was not concerned about the honour of the Prime Minister but that on October 27 when Rajnath Singh and Narendra Modi were addressing in Patna their shehzade was giving a speech in Delhi," he said, in a reference to Rahul Gandhi's Delhi rally.